Travelling Japan with Nikki Parkinson

03 Apr 2026

The Land of the Rising Sun, a trip to Japan is on nearly everyone’s wishlist. Nikki Parkinson, award-winning blogger, author, designer, and stylist takes us on her journey.

Introducing Nikki Parkinson, award-winning blogger, author, creator of Styling You, journalist, designer, stylist, and long-time FRANKIE4 friend.

Welcome to Nikki’s Japanese Adventure

I learned to ski in New Zealand when I was a teenager, went on a few ski trips in my early 20s, including a tequila-fuelled Contiki trip to NZ and an old-school radio station bus trip to Jindabyne. Ahh, what a time to be stay alive. Point being, until seven years ago at the age of 51, I hadn’t been back on skis for almost 30 years.

What could go wrong, I contemplated while adding on a bazillion layers of clothing and buckling myself into ski boots before meeting the instructor who had the honours of helping me find my ski legs again. He did help with that, yes, but what he’ll most remember me for is being the grown woman he had to rescue because instead of dismounting I’d somehow gotten my butt cheek wedged in the arm rest of the chairlift as it was making its downhill turn. Let’s call my hero Matt because that’s his real name and he’s still an instructor at Hakuba in Japan where the incident happened. Matt literally had to yank me down to the ground, which prevented me from heading back down the mountain upside down like clothes pegged to a washing line.

It didn’t stop me from heading out of the slopes for the rest of that two-week snow holiday (we went on to Nozawa Onsen after Hakuba) and we’ve been on two snow trips since then. This week we head back to Nozawa Onsen for the third time, our first time outside of the peak school holidays time but still within the Japanese ski season, which officially ends on February 28 but many resorts stay open through March.

The snow is still falling. There is an deep base of snow on the mountain and I’m excited to get back to my fave Paradise run. I kid you not, that’s what this green run is called. It’s longish, wide, has stunning views across the valley and to the right you can stop at one of the restaurants for everything from traditional Japanese food to a parmi and a mulled wine. It IS paradise! I’m not chasing the adrenaline rush of a black run. That’s not my style. I’m aiming to stay injury-free (did I mention I fractured my wrist hour one of day one last trip? Oops) and settle in to the mediative feeling that I feel when gliding down the slopes.

What I pack for each trip I does attract a lot of attention - from those who like options like me and those who I call The Packing Police who like to vocally judge me for how much I choose to travel with.

Judge away I say. I’ll keep on being me. As I said when I packed for a trip to Europe last November, packing is not a competition. What you choose to pack and what you don’t is a personal choice.

What I do set out personally to achieve every time I travel is curate a considered travel wardrobe that, yes, will never be carry-on only simply because I love the theatre of Holiday Theme Dressing.

For each trip, I follow these tried, tested and true tips for packing for any destination at any time of year. Whether you fall into either the maximalist or minimalist packing camps, these tips still apply.

Most items I’ve packed are linked HERE.

My suitcases are from HERE

Why packing for a snow holiday is different from a regular winter holiday

Instead of just packing for a regular winter holiday, for a snow holiday you need to break down your packing planning into two parts:

What you wear every day on the slopes
What you wear after you’ve been on the slopes - apres wear.

Yes, you’ll need pack bulky winter options just to be able to enjoy your time inthe snow. I’ve bought these vacuum compression bags specifically to help minimise the space our ski and snowboard gear takes up in our bags.

My full packing list (most is linked HERE)

APRE

BOTTOMS

Chocolate barrel leg pants
Black leather leggings
Barrel leg jeans
Ivory tapered pants

BASE LAYERS

Long sleeve merino tees x 3
Short sleeve merino tees x 3
Regular tees x 1

MID LAYERS

Fair Isle merino knit
Grey merino knit
Faux fur vest
Chocolate checked shirt
Ivory checked shirt

COATS/JACKETS

Faux Fur jacket

ACCESSORIES

Wool scarves x 4
Beanie
Faux Fur hat
Ugg hat
Belts x 2

SHOES

Low profile sneaker
Slip resistant ankle boots
Snow boots

BAGS

Multi pocket crossbody bag
Medium leather shoulder bag
Small crossbody suede bag

EXTRAS

Socks
Thermals
PJs
GLOVES
Swimsuit

SKI GEAR

Ski pants
Ski jacket
Base thermal leggings and tops x 2 pairs
Mid layer merino knits x 2
Headbands x 2
Ski socks x 2
Inner gloves
Outer gloves
Goggles
Helmut (you could hire this)

What you need to pack

ON THE SNOW

What you need to wear every day is A LOT for one outfit. There is no rushing this process each morning.It’sa layer upon layer situation, particularly if you are skiing someone colder like Japan.

Base layers: thermal pants and top. Uniqlo does a thermal layer so well. They sell three levels of warmth in their thermals and for Japan skiing I always pack the highest level of warmth. I have two sets as this is the layer against your skin and we will wash each day and leave to dry for the next. On that note: do make sure your snow accommodation has access to laundry facilities as you will want to wash essentials most days.

Mid layers: these should be merino knits or fleeces made from thermal fabrics and are worn over the base layer.

Outer layer: ski or snowboard pants plus a ski or snowboard jacket. You want your jacket to have an arm zip where your lift pass can sit for easy scanning on to chairlifts and gondolas. Your jacket should also have a high waterproof rating as when it’s snowing, it’s bucketing down and you do not want to get wet. On a bluebird day you can get away a bit more (falls pending) with a water-resistant jacket. I will be a matter of whether you want to pack two jackets. Your pants should also be waterproof, breathable and comfortable on. They need to move with you like activewear.

Socks: merino or thermal are musts!

Gloves: thermal inner gloves worn under a waterproof outer glove or mitten ensures your hands stay dry and warm

Neck warmer: rather than a scarf I like a circular thermal fabric neck warmer that can be worn around your next but also pulled up over your mouth if it’s really cold and blustery. My husband prefers a balaclava so that his head has more warm under his helmet.

Optional: head band. I wear a head band over my ears and across by forehead for extra warmth under my helmet. Some will wear a thin beanie.

AFTER THE SNOW

You can dress as casual or a dressed up as you would personally like when it comes to apres dressing. This might also depend on whether you’re staying at a more casual snow resort or you’re somewhere more glitzy.

It will still be cold heading out at night, but you will usually walking between one inside warm location and another. It’s still a layer-upon-layer situation but you want to be happy to be sitting in a restaurant in your base layer as you might end up taking off outer layers when inside at a restaurant or bar.

A jacket or coat other than the one you’ve ski-ed in all day is a good idea because your ski jacket will most probably need drying out.

Underneath, I wear a thin merino long-sleeve and an over shirt or short-sleeve top with a knit. I wear pants ranging from legging style to a baggier jean shape in case I want to add thermals on underneath. Mostly I don’t wear thermals because it’s a short walking distance out to restaurants and bars. Your body doesn’t cool down as quickly as can happen when outside on the mountain for hours.

Accessories like hats, beanies, earmuffs and scarves help you stay warm but also help add some personality to a base apre outfit you might repeat during your stay.

If it’s actually snowing, I take an umbrella. Like rain, you don’t want it to settle on any non-waterproof clothing items you might be wearing as then you will end up feeling cold.

Plan your snow wardrobe in advance

Let me put a scenario to you. If you’re already booking and planning a snow trip to the northern hemisphere for early in 2027, you want to stock up on any gaps in your snow wardrobe during the Australian winter when more options are available in store. If you wait until November or December to buy, your options will be very limited as there will only be summer clothes in store. This rule of thumb applies to anyone travelling to an opposite season from the one they’re currently living in.

We booked this trip 12 months ago so I have been planning what I would need since then. Yes, I shopped in our winter but also from UK stores during the height of their winter. It’s crazy how quick some UK retailer can get your orders to Australia, compared with some Australian retailers who you can wait up to 10 days to receive from.

I needed new ski gear and never intended to buy high-end brands but by looking online and in-store locally from the end of February when massive sales and deals were happening at the end of the season, I was able to pick up some “forever” skiwear pieces by brands such as Perfect Moment and Goldbergh for a fraction of their current retail price. I would not have paid full retail last year and the prices of items I bought cost even more this year.

Snowscene in Brisbane has a spend and save sale twice a year. I was able to buy ski pants and neck warmers during this. Internationally, the best ski clothing sale I found last year was via Mytheresa. Net-A-Porter and The Outnet also can yield some sale gems. None of these retailers have started similar sales as yet but sign up to their emails so you’re notified if and when they do. The only thing I’d caution is checking the returns policy for any online purchases. You want to be able to return if the size isn’t right. Spend time making sure you’ve converted your Australian size correctly to the European size and reach out to their customer service before checking out if you’re unsure.

What shoes you pack counts

For most trips, I’ll pack three pairs of shoes that suit the destination and that I can wear with most of the items I’m packing. For a snow holiday, a pair of sneakers is great for travel to and from and for walking around any cities you might be visiting before or after your snow holiday, but they won’t generally work in a snow resort village.

You will need slip resistant soles and waterproof uppers. And you might want to consider a snow boot. I can be snowy and icy!

For this trip, I’m packing these FRANKIE4 sneakers for the flight and a day in Tokyo, FRANKIE4 Rocco II boots in waterproof- treated chocolate suede and Moon Boot snow boots. I may not need the snow boots as the pathways in Nozawa Onsen are heated by the hot springs running underneath them but they are my insurance policy should it “puke” down snow while we’re there.

All three pairs of shoes work back with the pants I’ve packed, and all are comfortable, so I won’t hesitate to reach for them to wear out and about.

Remember, however and whatever you choose to pack is totally up to you and your personal preferences. There’s no right or wrong way to do it. And it can be a fun part of the planning if you start early and create your own tried and true process.

Step into the world of fashion and functionality with our curated collection of footwear blogs, where style meets comfort every step of the way.

Travelling Japan with Nikki Parkinson

Welcome to Nikki’s Japanese Adventure

AFTER THE SNOW

What shoes you pack counts

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